Customer Reviews

Crazy Itch Radio

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been a long time fan of Basement Jaxx and have enjoyed most everything they've done over the years. Crazy Itch Radio is an incredibly fun album. There's a nice variety of tunes, some amusing interludes, and as always, an amazing opening track (Hush Boy) that's basically worth the price of the CD itself. Crazy Itch definitely follows the Jaxx' stylistic development. It's a logical progression from Kish Kash, but is, in my opinion, a superior album. The production is pretty amazing. The songs are packed with little sounds, odd samples, and intricately arranged parts, which all find their own space in the mix.

Although there is a sort of narrative element, this isn't really a concept album, per se. It's thematically unified, but that's about it. The songs stand on their own. Of course some are better than others. I won't waste your time describing all the songs I liked - you'll find your own when you listen to it. I will say that you won't be disappointed. If you are familiar with Basement Jaxx, you pretty much know what to expect. If you're new to this music, this is an excellent place to start - it's a toss up between Crazy Itch and Rooty.

As an added bonus, you can watch the video for "Oh My Gosh". There's also an MP3 of the song. I'm not sure why it wasn't included on the album as it's incredibly catchy.

Ultimately, this album was worth the wait. Basement Jaxx is as creative as ever. I can highly recommend purchasing this album. For fans it's a no brainer. Enjoy!

I had the pleasure of seeing Basement Jaxx live this summer and the biggest thing that struck me during their performance was an incredible sense of anything-goes energy. On their new album, Crazy Itch Radio, it's the songs with this kind of feeling that stand out amongst the rest.

The highlights of the album are easily the gypsy-folk-dance of Hey You (with an ace guest vocal from Robyn) and Run 4 Cover, which sounds a little like Hollaback Girl's frenetic, twisted cousin. As with Basement Jaxx's earlier work, Crazy Itch Radio tries to be a little bit of everything. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it's just a mess. Take Me Back To Your House sounds a bit like Kylie gone country and it's probably the most immediate pop song on the album. On the other side of the spectrum, Everybody incorporates so many different vocals, sounds and tones that it ends up being more of a sound collage than a real song.

All ten of the album's proper songs feature guest vocalists and are on the poppier (though still experimental) side of dance music. There are also interludes that give the impression that you're listening to the radio (of the crazy itch variety, apparently), which helps the album feel more cohesive. Still, while it's a pretty consistent listen, there isn't much on Crazy Itch Radio that really stands out. It's better and more self-contained than most dance records, but there's a lingering sense that it just could have been a bit better.

Key Tracks: Hey You, Run 4 Cover, Take Me Back To Your House

By Crazy Itch Radio, Basement Jaxx has perfected their craft of mixing loud pompous and danceable music with diva-like or soulful female vocals. While the formula hasn't differed much since the splendid Rooty and the slightly uneven Kish Kash, the music here still seeks to thrill.

Sounding more carnival than ever, each track has a happy and melodic vibe. The disc begins with a grand and over-the-top dramatic intro. First single Hush Boy is all diva and too much of a chip of the block from Kish Kash. You'd be happier with Les Visiteurs Remix. Better tracks are elsewhere including the fun second single Take Me Back To Your House, the quasi-trippy Smoke Bubbles, the soulful electro track Lights Go Down, the reggae-influenced Keep Keep On and the riotous Everybody which contains a delightful Bollywood bridge. (B+)

As a long time Jaxx fans who got into them long ago (in the mid 90s when they were still just doing remixes and releasing bootlegs on their Atlantic Jaxx label), I can safely say...this album SUCKS big time. Imagine everything you liked about the Jaxx watered-down, thinned-out, pounded down into pure pablum. That's CRAZY ITCH RADIO...switch the channel. OK, I'll give it two stars for the mildly hooky HUSH BOY single (which just sounds like a pale imitation of OH MY GOSH from last year) and EVERYBODY, which barely hints at the kind of off-kilter, dark, sexy, dangerous jungle-jack-house they used to deliver in spades - what in the heck happened?! In trying to crossover to the mainstream and a naked bid for US radio play, the Jaxx has abandoned all their strengths, so they're simply left with...no hits, hooks, or hit singles to speak! Sad but true, there really isn't much to recommend here, as all the traxx seemingly melt together into one banal, forgettable groove. I am very, very disappointed. Still, this is comfort food for Jaxx fans, who might snap it up, but there's nothing new, nothing daring, nothing astonishing here, just middle-of-the-road traxx done much more inventive before. A shame really - as the Jaxx are/were one of the most out-of-the-box dance acts ever. Maybe the remixes with salvage it? Don't hold your breath. As Malcolm McLaren once said: ALL THAT SCRATCHIN'S MAKING ME ITCH!

What happens when the hottest things in house music reach the point where they're no longer the hottest? Can they still keep relevant? This is the question that haunts Basement Jaxx's _Crazy Itch Radio_. These musical polyglots can still craft cracking tunes, whether the banjo-smacking and strings of "Take Me Back to Your House," the Balkan-inspired horns in "Hey You," or the gospel/Bollywood stomp of "Everybody." But you also get the feeling that they're recycling several of their earlier ideas. The "Hush Boy" recalls "Red Alert" from their debut album _Remedy_, especially with the screeching chorus. "Hush Boy" also has much sillier vocals. Even "Everybody" starts off suspiciously like "Breakaway" from _Rooty_ before it finally moves into its own. Their slower tracks like "Lights Go Down" and "Keep Keep On" show that they're not always about the beat... even if that's where their strength is. So while this album isn't a revelation, it's plenty fun for everyone.

i can put this on and listen to every single song. It's very modern & futuristic but it's real poppy in a good way, too. There's a ton of great hooks and the songs have real choruses. The Jaxx cover mix in all sorts of genres, stuff you would never expect, but it always stays colorful and fun.
There are even a few more slower, mellow ones that are really moving and beautiful. I recommend it highly to people who like all sorts of music.
It sounds like a beautiful expolosion!!

And this new CD doesn't fail to impress.

I'm a devoted fan of Basement Jaxx. Crazy Itch Radio is phenomenal. "Take Me Back To Your House" is one of the best videos I've ever seen. You can't not be happy after watching that video. By all means, buy this CD and play it over and over and over and over. When are you going to tour America, guys?

Years ago, I recieved a random CD with Basement Jaxx's "Romeo" on it, and instantly fell in love with that song. A couple of weeks ago, on an impulse, I bought their Crazy Itch Radio CD. I have not stopped listening to it since!

This review is not for those who really critque the "techniques and styles" of the music, but for those who just love CDs that make you want to get up and dance. This CD reminds of that feeling you get when driving with the top down on a great day, listening to great music. I do like house music, and this is a great introduction for those who aren't quite yet into the "real" house music scene.

If you love fun/happy music, this CD is a must get. You won't regret it.

Crazy Itch Radio's cover art has pretty much the same color scheme as its predecessor, Kish Kash, and similarly, the music is cut from the same mold. If you know the Jaxx, you know the score: the infectious dance beats, the bombastic synthesizers, the zany blips and samples, the catchy radio-friendly lyrics sung over a bed of wild howls and yelps. In short, a party record.

Four albums on, Basement Jaxx has really established a unique and immediately recognizable style that few have been able to properly duplicate or imitate. Yet there is a mild sense of "been there done that" to this record. It doesn't really go anywhere that the Jaxx haven't been before. Remedy and Rooty had more radio-friendly singles, Kish Kash was more bizarrely eclectic. But this is nevertheless a solid release. Hush Boy is the most poppish, Everybody the most danceable, On the Train the most soulful, Run 4 Cover the most, well, Basement Jaxxy. And the slower numbers near the end, like the silky Lights Go Down and the bonus track, have more subtlety than on the other records. But there are no real weak points.

Furthermore, a cursory glance at the lyrics suggests that this is, however vaguely, a concept album. While that seems completely counterintuitive for a band as ADHD as Basement Jaxx, the songs do appear to chronicle the ups and downs of a single drunken relationship (although each stands alone, also). Of course, then there's that Run 4 Cover song. I don't know what that one's about.